NEPTUNE CITY — A borough man, who evaded authorities for two hours, was arrested early Saturday for allegedly robbing a taxicab driver at gunpoint. The incident started in Eatontown when Christopher Cutler, 24, caught a cab to drive him to his apartment in the Brighton Arms complex on West Sylvania Avenue, Neptune City Public Safety Director… Read the rest of this entry »

Michaela O’Brien’s vote has been counted, 84 days after she cast it, and as a result the Neptune City Council election between Democrat Michael Skudera and Republican Richard Pryor is tied at 602-602. A special election between the two currently former councilmen will be held on March 22.

O’Brien, an 18 year old Brookdale student voting for the first time on November 3, voted by provisional ballot when her name did not appear in the poll book at the Neptune City First Aid Building. O’Brien turned 18 in August and registered to vote on or about October 13, according to the election contest complaint file by Jason Sena, Esq on behalf of Pryor.

Mark A. Lawrence, 52, of Lake Como, was arrested by the Ocean Township Police Department last evening after fleeing from Target of Ocean on a bicycle, according to a statement by Det. Lt. Timothy Torchia. He was taken into custody after falling off the bicycle and putting up a brief struggle.

Officer Ryan Krug responded to a shoplifting in progress call at Target and observed the suspect, later identified as Lawrence, cycling away. Officer Dean Schooch spotted Lawrence near Asbury Circle.

Three Asbury Park Men were charged with the 2009 murder of Jonelle Melton, a 33 year old Red Bank Middle School teacher.

Democrats Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downeydefeated Republican Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande in the 11th Legislative District. A Democratic SuperPac funded largely by the NJEA spent $1.5 million in the race, including television commercials implying that Angelini is inappropriately profiting from the drug abuse prevention non-profit that she leads.

For all the special interest money spent on behalf of the Democrats, Angelini lost to Downey by only 253 votes and the top vote getter, Houghtaling had only 713 votes more than the low vote getter, Casagrande. Low voter turnout in Republican strongholds Freehold Township and Colts Neck was the difference in the election.

Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor has lodged a contest of the November 3 general election in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Pryor, a Republican, was leading his race for reelection by one vote following the counting of provisional ballots on November 9. In the November 24 recount, Democrat Michael Skudera picked up three votes while Pryor picked up one. Skudera now leads Pryor by one vote, 602-601.

At issue in the contest, which was filed by Jason N. Sena, Esq of the Manalapan law firm Cutolo Mandel, LLC, is one of the two provisional votes that was disqualified by the Board of Election on November 9.

Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor is trailing Michael Skudera by one vote after the recount

The outcome of the election for a seat on the Neptune City Council changed as a result of the recount that took place this morning at the Board of Elections office in Freehold.

Democratic candidate Michael Skudera (not the same Michael Skudera who is the former mayor of Tinton Falls) gained three votes in the hand count of Vote-By-Mail and provisional ballots and now leads incumbent Republican Councilman Richard Pryor by one vote, 602-601. Pryor picked up one vote in the recount.

Hand recounts of Vote-By-Mail and provisional ballots often result in additional votes being counted. The votes are first counted electronically via scanner. During a hand recount, elections commissioners are able to determine the intent of a voter who may have not completely filled in the box on the ballot sufficiently to be read by the scanner.

FREEHOLD — Two of the three men accused of beating a beloved Red Bank schoolteacher to death in a case of mistaken identity appeared Thursday in court where they proclaimed their innocence. One of the suspects, James Fair, 27, boldly declared himself not guilty of the seven charges lodged against him on Wednesday when he and… Read the rest of this entry »

Freehold,NJ- Three Asbury Park men, all currently incarcerated on unrelated crimes, have been charged in the 2009 murder of Jonelle Melton, a 33 year old Red Bank Middle School teacher who resided in Brighton Arms apartment complex in Neptune City.

James Fair, 27, Ebenezer Byrd, 35 and Gregory Jean-Baptiste, 26, were each charged with first degree Felony Murder, first degree Robbery, and other second degree charges. Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced the charges during a press conference at Freehold office this morning. Melton’s husband, mother and other family members and friends were present for the announcement.

The results of the November 3, 2015 Board of Education election in Asbury Park, and the municipal races in Neptune City and Spring Lake Heights will be rechecked and recounted on Tuesday, November 24 at 10 am, at the Board of Elections Office in Freehold, pursuant to Judge Katie A. Gummer’s Orders.

The rechecks and recounts were requested via Petitions filed by Allan C. Roth, a Springfield, NJ attorney, on behalf of Asbury Park Board of Education candidate Barbara Lesiniski, Spring Lake Heights Council candidate Nathaniel Novak and Michael Skudera, a candidate for Council in Neptune City.

Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor, a Republican, is tied with Democratic challenger Michael Skudera now that the provisional ballots have been counted.

In the post-Election Day machine count, Pryor trailed Skudera by one vote.

Barring a change in the tally due to a recount, which neither side has announced, there will be a run-off election between Pryor and Skudera, on a date to be determined, most likely in mid-December.

Republicans are said to be reviewing the Vote-By-Mail applications from the City prior to deciding whether to file for a recount. Operatives of the notorious Asbury Park “A Team” are rumored to have managed the Vote-By-Mail operation for the Democrats.